Voices
by Kikyo-the-Walnut
Summary: Kikyou's journey to hell and back again.


Voices. Footsteps. _They_ are coming.

I can see them now, indistinct shapes, thousands upon thousands, all merging in to one shape and back again. Their eyes are lidless sockets, an endless black hole from which there is no escape. Their arms reach out to grab me, to take me away.

I try to flee, stumbling. I'm surrounded. But I try anyway, pushing these creatures aside in my desperation.

They catch me, and I'm drowning, drowning in a pool of blood, washing over me. I cannot see, or hear, or feel.

I do not know how much time passes before I am able to open my eyes, into a world of gray. There is nothing here. No trees, no animals, no people. Just gray.

And then it disappears into a mass of molten red, crisscrossed with a myriad of other colors. I can see all too clearly the wretched souls in bound into slavery, screaming in silent agony.

Another of the strange beings forces me into a line. I am bound my chains of murder, treachery. No, this is all wrong. Let me go.

I feel the cool touch of your lips for an instant. Then you come before me, andwound me once again. Stop, I want to say. You love me.

But you will not stop. You hurt me over and over, until I am driven to the point of insanity, when I cannot think anymore.

She comes now, shaking her head in sorrow. I want to comfort her, tell her how sorry I am. But I can only watch the horrors unfold before my eyes.

And now I'm furious. I want to kill, to hurt. The beings smile without delight. This is what they want. I don't care. I _will_ kill.

I'm set free of the prison, so I lash out blindly, catching one of them and drawing blood. It looks down and the wound closes up. It bends down and licks its blood.

Will I ever be free? I have some free thought left to me. I want to return, to properly kill you for the last time.

I'm wandering, forever wandering. I see others, but I don't care. I feel flames burning my flesh. I don't care. Nothing matters.

And I'm suddenly jerked up by an unseen force, and the beings are howling in despair, and I'm no longer there. I can see trees, wildlife, and people.

I can see you. How are you standing there? You bastard.

Then I notice I cannot feel the wind. It merely brushes past me, ignoring my presence. The trees scorn me, turn away from me. And you. You just stare, with that look in your eyes.

You say something. I hear it distantly, as if in a dream. Isn't this all a dream, though? How could this all have happened?

You run towards me, and my mind can think of only one thing: _Kill_. I follow, lashing out with powers I've never had before. Have I?

You still come. And even though my mind says to kill, my subconscious says this man is good. He will not harm you.

I run away from these oppressive feelings, run far away. A cliff appears before me, so I jump, looking into the vast expanse of blue below.

I'm grabbed from above, stopping my plunge. I look up and see you. Rage explodes in my mind, and I shock you, and I continue to fall.

I fall into water, but do not make a splash, or a sound. You are a speck far above me, turning away. You _do_ hate me.

I stumble over rocky terrain, and come to a lone tree, and so I sit upon the lowest branch. It ignores me, no welcome creaking, no song from the leaves.

I am empty; a hollow husk. I do not fell love now. I feel hate, betrayal. The memory flashes once again before me, and I merely watch.

And now the clouds blanket the tree, and a gentle rain falls. I'm not wet; it has also abandoned me.

I look up and see the sky, a brilliant arch stretching forever over me. And I wonder: what is life? People may describe it as breathing, eating, and communicating. But aren't we all just pawns in this terrible game? Happiness, sorrow, anger, they're all part of it. Death means losing, being cast into damnation. We will never escape.

And now I walk, and people see me, and welcome me. I put on a façade of happiness, to please them. And I care for the sick and wounded, and I rid shrines of evil spirits. And I "play" with young children. So young, and so innocent.

And there comes a time when an alien emotion enters my heart. Is it…joy? I cannot remember; it being so long since I have felt anything except hate.

And then I see you again, and the emotion flees, and I again hate. Now you have a girl with you. I detest you so.

I spy on your campsite. You call her "reincarnation of Kikyo." How is this possible? And I can see your obvious affection, and this angers me.

Soon we meet again, and I kiss you, lovingly, desperately. Come with me. I need you.

That girl is bound to the tree. I laugh at her, mockingly, as I take him.

But she breaks throughmy barriers. And he returns. Damn you all.

And that day I make a vow: I _will_ take you to hell with me. I promise I will.

And I never break a promise.

--

Zora's Notes: Well, that was odd, wasn't it? But it's 1000 words long! Ha ha ha! Of course, that includes the author's notes, but who cares? I'm happppppy! And this was another one of my random spur-of-the-moment ideas, created in less than half an hour! Yay… By the way, if you don't know who I'm talking about…. Well, that kinda proves you haven't read or watched Inuyasha. Or I just made it really confusing.

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Slavery was stopped in…. well, a long time ago, so no one can own anyone! And I don't own the copyright, books, ideas, whatever, of Inuyasha either.

Please review. Flames are welcome.

-Zora


End file.
